The Crisis of Liberal Democracy in Contemporary Novels : or The Continuation of History

This book explores how contemporary novels reflect a profound shift in Western culture, from the political optimism of the post-Cold War era to growing fears about the future of liberal democracy. Analyzing four major works – Karl Ove Knausgård''s My Struggle series, Zadie Smith''s White Teeth, Boualem Sansal''s 2084 and Michel Houellebecq''s Submission – it shows how these novels illuminate current social discontents and engages the anxieties of our time. Where the so-called "end-of-history" narrative once promised a triumphant liberal democracy, novelistic fiction today reflects a more ominous outlook: progressives are haunted by dystopian visions of democratic decline, while reactionaries fear cultural displacement and yearn for a lost Golden Age. Bridging literary analysis and political theory, the book offers new perspectives on how literature engages with and challenges contemporary political narratives, making it a vital resource for those interested in the intersection of politics and literature.